Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

moonspinner55 Candy-colored French-Italian co-production, cops-and-robbers stuff perfectly satisfying for some--though with a tiring amount of set-ups framing its very thin story. Master thief Diabolik steals 10 million dollars from an armored car, making himself enemy number one of gang leader Valmont, who puts himself in-cahoots with the police to bring Diabolik to justice. Terrific art direction and set designs, plus a jazzy-cool music score by Ennio Morricone, nearly make the film worth catching for non-genre fans; otherwise, director Mario Bava's tricks with the camera are in service of so little, and star John Phillip Law can't even find a three-dimensional character to create within the material. Bava also served as producer and had a hand in the screenplay, based on the Italian comic "Diabolik", which bears more than a passing resemblance to the French crime series "Fantômas". ** from ****

S.A. Wiebe (captain_average) Based on a French comic about a genius master criminal, Mario Bava's Danger: Diabolik was years ahead of the comic book movie craze and undoubtedly influenced many of the now-considered great comic book films.Diabolik is colorful, fast-paced and extremely intelligent. Bava shot the film on a tiny budget, but the action set pieces are well staged; the actual crimes committed are great fun, and the framing frequently quotes comic book panel styles. The last scene suggests Bava could easily have done a sequel if he'd wanted to. John Phillip Law never gave a better performance, either.Yes, it's camp as all hell, but as seriously as Tim Burton played with Batman, his films utilize much of the same framing style and lighting - and Ang Lee's equally under-rated HULK does the same.Danger:Diabolik also holds up well to repeat viewing (I've watched it a dozen times, or more) for all of the above reasons and one more - and it's a big one - it just, plain fun!

Red-Barracuda The great Mario Bava strikes again. Danger: Diabolik! is yet another example of this man's wonderful cinematic style. It has impressed me greatly that Bava has produced superb films in a variety of genres - the horror film, the giallo, the crime-thriller, the comedy – and now the superhero film. No matter what type of movie Bava seems to invest it with a remarkable visual flair. With Diabolik he is allowed to go over-the-top like never before. This is a picture that is as much a comedy as anything else, with a camp style that Bava exploits to the fullest. A lot of the jokes are still pretty funny and the 60's vibe is priceless. Some people evidently don't think too much of this movie, but for an Italian genre film enthusiast it offers lots of fun.John Philip Law has never been a good actor. However, he suits the role of the anti-hero Diabolik very well. Similar to his role as Pygar the angel in Barbarella, this role just calls for him to look good and play deadpan. And this he does, even in a gimp suit. Marisa Mell plays his sidekick, she was certainly one of the most beautiful actresses in Italian cinema at the time and needless to say she is perfectly cast here. This dastardly duo get into all manner of situations as they thwart the law. All of their schemes and actions are completely ridiculous and crazy of course, but this is all in keeping with the comic-book origins of the characters. I had no problem at all immersing myself in this world.Another consequence of note is the fact that this movie unites both Mario Bava and soundtrack legend Ennio Morricone. I'm not aware of these two creative forces working on the same picture before, but for two such titans of the Italian movie scene to come together in a single film is a happening of enough value in itself. Bava photographs everything brilliantly and his typically glorious colour scheme is very much in evidence here too, while Morricone pitches in with some ultra-cool lounge grooves. Both men seem to be in their element. And you will be too if you have any love for psychedelia, 60's superhero movies or Italian genre cinema.

seanmoliver64 Deliriously psychedelic pop-art crime-spoof mini-masterpiece! Although many people mention the Bond films, Mario Bava borrowed quite a large number of ideas from the brilliant US 'Batman' TV-series of 1964-65, such as Diabolik's underground cave-lair with its secret opening, the use of comic book artwork, and especially the scene at the 'Live on TV Police Press Conference' where the authorities are announcing their new "Anti-Crime" plan designed to catch Diabolik. Diabolik is there, of course, disguised as a news photographer. But his camera actually sprays "Exhilarating Gas", and so to protect himself, Diabolik swallows an "Anti-Exhilarating Gas Pill". Everybody in attendance begins laughing uncontrollably in front of the TV cameras including the Police Commissioner and the Minister of Finance, making total fools of themselves on live TV while Diabolik slips away undetected! This scene is straight out of the Batman TV show, of course.The sets and costumes - like 'Batman' - are wonderfully mind-blowing examples of mid-to-late sixties fashion and pop art; all vibrantly bold colors, weird geometric shapes, huge sunglasses, and transparent plastic furniture. When he started shooting his films in color, Bava always used deep, richly colored lighting with bold, angular shadows. By the early 70's, it seems he (and every area of the arts from fashion to film to music) eschewed this 'plastic' look for a more natural, 'earthy' style. 'Diabolik' (released 1968) is perhaps one of the last of Bava's films to use this Pop Art look. His later films that I have seen are much less colorful.This also may be one of the reasons it did rather poorly at the time; it was more 1965 than 1968, and popular tastes changed very, very quickly in those days. What was cool last week was suddenly considered passe this week, and by 1968 when 'Diabolik' was released, its kitschy style was simply too 'last week'. 1968 saw many films which were "heavy" and addressed social and political issues. 'Diabolik' would've seemed silly and childish in the face of 1968's realities such as MLK and RFK assassinations, Vietnam, and the May '68 revolts in Paris.Time has treated it well, however, and Diabolik is a pure delight. Morricone's score is one of his best - it's tragic the tapes were lost - I could listen to it over and over. Marisa Mell (as Diabolik's girl, Eva) also disappeared, dying early in 1991. She is lusciously foxy in that 60's go-go girl way with the long legs and boots and the various outfits she wears, especially the black one with silver rivets all over it! Diabolik and Eva's underground lair is certainly THE ultimate swingin' pad with a revolving bed, transparent his-n-her shower stalls and about 30 Jags parked around the giant living room.